Temperature control valve



Dec. 22, 1953 A. J. scHuTT 2,663,499

TEMPERATURE CONTROL VALVE Filed Nov. 2, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Summer aw, Ji'hf/ Dec. 22, 1953 A. J. SCHUTT 2 ,663,499

TEMPERATURE CONTROL VALVE Filed Nov. 2, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lhmentor Dec. 22, 1953 A. .1. SCHUTT TEMPERATURE CONTROL VALVE 5 Sheets5heet 5 Filed NOV. 2, 1949 u E z a .m

Patented Dec. 22, 1953 TEMPERATURE CONTROL VALVE Arthur J. Schutt, Lockport, N. Y., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application November 2, 1949, Serial No. 125,029

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to temperature control valves particularly adapted for controlling the flow of a fluid to a heat exchanger.

One of the important objects of this invention- 'is to provide a control device of this character having thermo-responsive means adjustable to actuate the valve within different ranges of tern-- perature variation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a control valve of this type in which the static position of the thermo-responsive control means may be varied by remote control and to adjust the device to various ambient air temperatures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a temperature control valve of this type wherein the parts may be adjusted to lock the valve in either fully opened or fully closed position whereby the valve will not be operated upon changes in the ambient air temperatures.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, comprises a relatively few number of parts and may be economically and expeditiously manufactured and assembled.

Various other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be- Figure is an enlarged end elevational view asviewed from the top in Figure 2, as indicated by arrows i i in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the connection between the valve stem and valve control lever of the device; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the connection between the valve stem and valve.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, it will be noted that there is illustrated, fragmentarily, the front portion of a motor vehicle it] provided with the usual water cooling radiator H. The reference character [2 indicates the dashboard of the motor vehicle. interposed in an air conduit i3 extending from the front of the vehicle to and through the dash ing the subject matter of this invention is indicated generally byoreference character i5.

As shown in Figure 1, hot water from the radi-' ator flows through. conduit l6 through the temperature control valve 15, then through conduit I! to the heat exchanger M from which it returns by conduit Hi to the radiator ll.

Any other desired system of conduits or connections may be employed, it being essential onlyin this invention that the control valve be so interposed in the system of conduits that the flow of the heating fluid to the heat exchanger is controlled.

The particular control valve forming the subject matter of this invention is illustrated in detail in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive, in which the reference character 19 indicates a base member peripherally secured as at 29 to the dash I2.

Intermediate its periphery and substantially throughout its length, the base [9 is formed with a pressed-out boss 2| which boss portion is aper tured as at 22.

The reference character 23 indicates a pipe to which the conduit i6 is connected and the reference character 2t indicates a second pipe to which conduit l! is connected. The pipe 23 is brazed or otherwise secured to the pipe 24 and the pipe 24 is brazed or otherwise secured to a circular cap or closing member 25. This member 25 is adapted to receive and support a rubber seal 26 as best illustrated in Figure 5. The assembly consisting of pipes 23 and 24 and the cap or closing member 25 are adapted to be assembled with and secured to the base H) by having lips or tab portions 21 on the cap member 25 passed through slots in the base l9, said lips or tabs being subsequently bent over and staked or welded to the base as illustrated.

The reference character 28 indicates a valve shaft which extendsvthrough 'and is guided by an aperture 29 in the cap or closing member 25. One end of this valve stem 28 is provided with a semi-spherical or ball-shaped end 30 to which a coupling member 3! is attached by spinning the same thereon. The reference character 32 indicates a valve and 33 a valve guide mounted on the coupling 3!. A washer as engages one face of the valve 32 and these three parts are secured in position by clinching over the end of the coupling 3i as indicated at 35. With this construction the valve 32 is capable of limited universal movement to seat firmly on the valve seat and the valve guide 33 assists in properly seating the valve.

A valve seat 36 is pressed into the pip 24 and is preferably secured thereto by brazing. In Figure 2 the valve is shown in open position.

The other end 31 of the valve stem 28 is also semi-spherical and adjacent this end of the valve stem is provided with circular grooves 38 and 39.

The rubber seal 26, previously referred to, is in g the form of a diaphragm andhas a circular sleeve portion 49 which surrounds the valve stem 28 at the groove 38 and is secured thereto by a clamp ring 4 l. A cup-like ferrule member 42 surrounds the valve stem 28 and encloses the sleeve portion GB of the seal 26. This ferrule is held in place by a hairpin type securin member 43 engaging in said groove 39. When the valve stem 28 is reciprocated, the rubber seal 26 will flex to'permit this reciprocal movement.

Secured to the base I9 is a substantially U- shaped case or housing so. This housing is provided at spaced points with tabs or ears d which are passed through corresponding slots in the base is and are then bent over or staked as illustrated most clearly in Figure 3.

The reference character 45 indicates a valve control lever extending through the housing or case id and pivotally connected thereto at one end by a pivot pin er. The valve control lever 65 is substantially channel-shaped and is thus provided with longitudinally extending side flanges 43, one of which is extended to provide a laterally extending arm or ear 49 for a purpose to be shortly referred to.

The free end of the valve control lever 45 is slotted as at so to receive a spring clip 5i one end of which engages the inside of the channel portion of the lever do whereas the other end of said clip is slotted to engage the neck portion 52 of the valve stem 28 adjacent the spherical end 3?. This spring clip 5! acts to hold the valve stem 23 and valve control lever d5 into engagement with one another during the movement of these parts. Movement of the control lever 55 and consequently of the valve stern 2B is limited in one direction by means of an ear 53 provided by cutting and bending at right angles a portion of the case or housing 44.

Mounted on one side of the case or housing 44 is a cam 5 This cam is mounted on a shaft 55 carried by the adjacent side of housing Secured on the end of the shaft 55 and bearing against the cam for frictionally holding the against accidental rotation is a spring retainer ring 55. The cam 56 is adapted to be oscillated and remotely controlled by a Bowden cable 57 connected to the cam 54 as at 58. For supporting ili and are bent over or staked as, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Thus the bellows frame Si is rigidly secured to and moves with the valve conthe Bowden cable 51 there is provided a clip 59 secured to the housing M with which a clamp 60 cooperates for engaging the Bowden cable. This Bowden cable extends to and through the instrument panelfii of the motor vehicle where" it is provided with an operating ,knob fiil. By means of this Bowden cable the cam 54 may be ia-ry spring 35.

rotated about its shaftjjnfor a piirpose to be referred to later in more detail.

Mounted on the arm or ear &9 of the valve control lever d5 is a pin 63. During the oscillation of the cam 54 this pin 53 works in a slot 54 provided in the cam. This slot B l is of a width to provide clearance around the pin 53 suificient to permit reciprocation of valve stem 28 during the opening and closing movement of valve 32. However the ends 85 and 68 of this slot are of reduced size so as to snugly receive the pin 5-3 at the extreme ends of the movement of the cam. Thus when the cam 5 3 is moved in the direction of arrow A, the pin 63 will be lodged 'in the reduced end 65 of the slot and when the cam is moved in the direction of arrow B, the

pin 63 will be lodged in the reduced end it of trol lever dd Mounted on spaced ears ll struck out from one of the walls of housing '94 is a cam lever '82. cam lever is mounted for rocking movement on a pivot shaft 33 extending across said cam lever and supported on said ears. One end of this cam lever is dished as at it to receive the of a bellows stem 5%. This bellows stein extends through an aperture 56 in the valve control lever 45 and is provided at its other end with a shoulder Tl upon which rests a head 13. A bellows F3 is interposed between the portion oi the bellows frame 6? and the head 73 and is silver iered or otherwise secured thereto. A capill." 823 extends through the frame portion 5 8 l;f -G the interior of the bellows is secure soldered thereto. Thiscapillary tube d, be extended to any length and provided with a bulb 81 or if desired the capillary tube and bulb may be eliminated entirely.

In practice the bellows and the. capillary tube $0 and bulb 8!, if used, are charged with a thermo-responsive fluid. The well-known Freon has been found to work as entirely satisfactorily as the thermo responsive fluid.

Surrounding the bellows stern is a eounterbalancing or range spring 82. At one end this spring engages the valve control lever and the other end engages an adjusting nut 3s mounted on a threaded portion 8 of the bellows stem. The spring 82 is used to counterbalance the pressure exerted in the bellows :79 for a desired or selected air temperature Also by adjusting the nut 8-3 variances in the spring and bellows 79 may be compensated for to or adjust the start-to-open temperature of the device. After final adjustment of nut 83 the threads of threaded portion M are peened to prevent further turning with the nut The valve control lever 16 is normally d in a valve-opening direction by of acid One end of this spring engages in the channel of the valve control lever es and is prevented from displacement by means of a lip 86 provided by cutting and bending a portion of the lever $6. The other end of spring surrounds a lips? struck from an portion of the case or housing M.

The cam lever 52 is preferably provided with a projection in the form of a rib 20; adapted to engage the cam face or surface 23 of the cam member 54. This cam face or surface 53 is developed so that when the cam Ed is moved in the direction of arrow A, the cam lever is rocked about its pivot '23 to move the bellows stem 55 in the direction of arrow C. Obviously, therefore, when the cam at is moved in the direction of arrow B, the cam lever l2 rocks in the opposite direction and the bellows stem '55 moves in a direction opposite to that indicated by arrow C.

When the cam 53 is moved in the direction of arrow A and cam lever 52 moves bellows stem 15 in the direction of arrow C, the engagement of shoulder TI on bellows stem is with the head [8 acts to compress bellows l9 and through bellows frame 61 rocks valve control lever 28 in valve-closing direction. With the parts left in such an adjusted position, a smaller bellows movement isnecessary or required to close the valve.

When the cam member 54 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow B, the contrary is true. Under these conditions the cam lever '52 is rocked in the opposite direction and the bellows stem l moves in the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow C whereupon the bellows is extended requiring more bellows move ment to move the valve 32 to a fully closed position.

When the cam lever 72 is locked to move the bellows stem in the direction of arrow C, the bellows 73 is not only compressed but the hole lows frame 67 is also bodily shifted which in turn rocks the valve control lever 55 to move the valve towards closed position. When the cam lever 52 is rocked in the other direction and the bellows stern i5 moves in the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 0, the hol lows is permitted to expand and the valve control lever it under the influence of auxiliary spring 85 moves the valve away from its seat;

Thus by properly adjusting the cam 54, by means of Bowden cable 51 and knob 52, the thermo-respon'sive means will be adjusted to actuate or open and close the valve within diif'erent ranges of temperature variation.-

When the valve 32 is opened, the heating fluid will now through conduit it and pipe 23, thence 6 justment of the cam 54. When the cam 54 has been thus adjusted to hold the valve 32 in either fully closed or fully opened position, the valve is not affected by ambient air temperature changes.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for controlling the flow of heating fluid to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting a source of heating fluid to the heat exchanger, a valve in said conduit, a valve stem therefor, a valve control lever connected to said valve stem, means biasing said control lever in valve-opening direction, thermoresponsive means in the form of a bellows connected to said control lever for actuating said valve, ad-

through the valve and through pipe 22 and a conduit H to the heat exchanger i i and thence from the heat exchanger it through conduit it back to the radiator.

A typical operation of the device under average cold weather conditions will now be described. If the cam 54 is adjusted to substantially the position illustrated in Figure 2, the air temperature surrounding the bellows it or surrounding the capillary tube all or capillary tube and bulb 85 must rise to 70 degrees Fahren heit to expand the thermo responsive fluid sufflci'ently to close the valve 32 and thus cut oil the supply of heating fluid to the heat exchanger. Therefore at any temperature lower than 7'0 degrees Fahrenheit, the bellows contracts in proportion to the ambient air temperature and the valve is moved to partially open or fully open position. As the ambient air temperature rises, the thermo-responsive fluid espands thus expanding the bellows and moving the valve toward cloged position in proportion to the variances in the air temperature By properly adjusting the cam 55, the air temper ature at which the valve 32 will be closed or opened may be regulated as will be apparent.

It may be desirable to lock the valve 32 in either fully closed or fully opened position so that the valve is not actuated by variations in the ambient air temperature. For this purpose the reduced end portionsjifi and 56 are provided in the slot 54 of cam 56. With thisarrangement when the cam 5% is moved in the direction indicated by arrow A whereby the pin 63, carried by the valvecontrol lever 36, is lodged in the reduced end 65 of the slot, the valve is fully closed and when the cam 54 is moved in the direction of arrow B and the pin 63 is lodged in the reduced end $8 of thecarn slot, the valve 32 is in full'open position. One wall ofthe slot 6 adjacent the reduced end t5 is provided with a hump or shoulder 65a and another wall of the slot 54' adjacent the reduced end 65 is provided with a hump or shoulder Eta over which the pin 63 passes in the extreme positions of adjustable spring means interposed between said bellows and control lever to counterbalance the bellows pressure, a bellows stem connected to said bellows, a cam lever connected to said bel lows stem, and cam means for actuating said cam lever to adjust the static positions of said thermo-responsive means and control lever to cause said thermo-responsive means to open and close said valve within different ranges of temperature variation.

2. In a device for controlling the flow of heating fluid to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting a source of heating fluid to the heat exchanger, a valve in said conduit, a valve stem therefor, a valve control lever connected to said valve stem, means biasing said control lever in valve-opening direction, thermo-responsive means in the form of a bellows, a bellows frame connecting said bellows to said control lever, a cam lover, a bellows stem extending through said control lever and connecting said bellows to said cam lever, adjustable spring means connected to said bellows stern and. interposed between said bellows and control lever for counterbalancing the bellows pressure, and cam means acting on said cam lever for adjusting the static positions of said thermo-responsive means and control lever to cause said thermoresponsive means to open and close said valve within difierent ranges of temperature variation.

3. In a device, for controlling the flow ofheating fluid. to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting a source of heating fluid to the heat xchanger,

a valve in said conduit, a valve ste l the-rotor, a

valve control lever connected to said valve stem, means biasing said control lever in valve-opening direction, thermo-responsive means in the form of a bellows, a bellows frame connecting said bellows to said control lever, a cam lever, a bellows stem extending through said control lever and connecting said bellows to said lever, adjustable spring means connected to said. bellows stem and interposed be ween said bellows and control lever for counterbalancing the bellows pressure,- and means on said cam for locking said valve in closed and open position.

4. In a device for controlling the how of heating fluid to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting a source of heating fluid to .the heat exchanger, a valve in said conduit, a control lever operatively connected to said valve, means for biasing said control lever in valve opening direction, thermoresponsive means mounted on said control lever for actuating said valve, cam lever means, and means operatively' connecting said thermoresponsive means to said cam lever means and 7, adapted for movement relative to said control lever.

5. In a device for controlling the flow of heating fluid to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting a source of heating fluid to the heat exchanger, a valve in said conduit-a control lever operatively connected to said valve, means for biasing said control lever in valve opening direction, thermo-responsive means mounted on said control lever for actuating said valve, cam means, means operatively connecting said thermoresponsive means to said cam means and adapted for movement relative to said control lever, means on said cam ,means for locking said valve against movement in open position, and additional means for locking said valve in closed position.

6. In a device of the class described, a conduit, a valve mounted in said conduit, a control lever operatively connected to said valve, spring means for biasing said control lever in valve opening direction, thermo-responsive means mounted on said control lever and being bodily m-ovablethzre W for actuating said valve, cam lever means,

operativelv connecting said thermoresponsive means to said cam lever means and adapted for movement relative to said control lever, and adjustable spring means disposed between said thermo-responsive means and said control lever and engaging lever for counterbalancing the said thermo responsive means.

7. In a device or" the class a conduit, a valve mounted-isaid conduit, 2, control level operatively connected to said valve, spring 1: for biasing said control lever valve 'cp means to said cam. means and adapted for movement relative to said control lever, where-b cam means may adjustsaid thcrinmr nerisivc means to cause the latter to actuate valve within diiferent ra nges of temperature variation.

8. In a device of the class described; a conduit, a valve mounted insaid conduit, a valve stem for said valve, a controlglever connected to said valve stem, spring means for biasing said control lever in valve opening direction, thermo -responsive means mounted on control lever and being bodily movable therewith for actuating said valve, and cam means operatively connected to said thermo-responsive means for adjusting the static positions of the latter and said control lever tocause said thermo-respon ive means to operate said valve Within different ranges of temperature variation.

9. In a device for controlling the flow of heating fluid to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting 'a source of fluid to the heat exchanger, a valve in said conduit, a control lever operatively connected to said valve, means for biasing said control lever in valve opening direction, thermo-responsive means connected to and mounted for bodily movement with said control lever for actuating said valve, cam means operatively connected to said merino-responsive means for adjusting the static positions of the latter and said control lever to cause said thermo-responsive means to operate said valve Within diflerent ranges of temperature variation, and adjustable spring means operating against said control lever and said thermoresponsive means to counterbalance the latter.

10. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting the said heat exchanger to a source of fluid supply, a valve in said conduit, a control lever for operating said valve, thermo-responsive means for operating said control lever,:a yoke secured to said control lever and supporting one end of said thermo-responsive means, a stem engaging the opposite end of said thermo-responsive means, means for holding said stem against axial movement in one direction, a spring disposed between the opposite end of said thermo-responsive means and said control lever and in engagement with the latter, and means for adjusting said spring to vary the operatingcharacteri tics of said thermo-responsiv-e mea s.

11. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid to a heat exchanger, a conduit connecting said heat exchanger to a source of fluid supply, a valve in said conduit, a control lever for operating said control valve, thermo-responsive means for operating said control lever, a frame secured to said .control lever and supporting one end of said thermoeresponsive means, a stem engaging the opposite end 10f said thermo-responsive means, meansfor holding said stem against axial movementinone direction, agpring-l disposed between the opposite end of saidthermo-responsive means responsive means, a stem engaging thev opposite end of said thermoere'sponsive means, means for holding said stem against axial movement in one direction; a'spring disposed" between the said upposite end of said thermo-r'esponsive means and said control lever andengaging the latter, means on said stem for adjusting the pressure of said spring to vary the operating characteristics of said thermo-responsive means, remotely controlled me'ans for adjusting said holding means to further vary the operating characteristics of said thermo-r'esponsive means, means on said adjusting meapswfor locking. said valve means in open position, and additional means on said adjusting means for locking said valve in closed position.

" ARTHUR. J. SCI-IUTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

